Terry Gross

Songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. They wrote the songs for the 1944 Judy Garland film classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis," including "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A musical based on the film is opening on Broadway this week.

Writer John Updike. Updike is known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of some thirty novels and short stories, including the "Rabbit" novels. His latest effort is not a work of fiction, but a book on art. It's a collection of 23 essays called "Just Looking" that offers Updike's personal reactions to some of the world's masterpieces. He also comments on some of the recent "megashows" such as Renoir at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Andrew Wyeth's "Helga" paintings.

Soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples. As a member of the Staple singers for more than 30 years, she's had hits like "Respect Yourself," and "I'll Take You There," which went to Number One in the early 70s. Mavis Staples has also made several solo albums during the 70s and 80s. Mavis Staples was featured in Prince's 1988 "Lovesexy" tour, and Prince produced Staples new album, "Time Waits For No One." (Rebroadcast. Original date 6/2/89).

Writer Marita Golden. Her new novel, "Long Distance Life," examines half a century in the life of a black middle-class family in the other Washington, D.C., the one not filled with shiny buildings and corridors of power. Previously, Golden published a widely acclaimed memoir, "Migrations of the Heart."

Baseball manager Tony La Russa. For the past two years, he's led the Oakland Athletics to the World Series. La Russa has been called one of the most intelligent, cerebral and innovative managers now in the game. His style of clubhouse management - taping all American league games in the clubhouse so batters can study upcoming opposing pitchers, computer analysis of statistics to show which batters hit best in clutch situations - is widely imitated and has been credited with revitalizing the American League West, once thought to be the weakest of all four divisions.

Critic at large Laurie Stone reviews comic Billy Crystal's new HBO special, "Midnight Train to Moscow." The premise is that Crystal has been invited to be the first American stand-up artist to perform in the Soviet Union. In addition to his act, there are cameo appearances by a flock of Crystal characters.

Explorer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau. The son of famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel has spent much of his life aboard their ship, "Calypso," traveling the world and learning about its wonders and peoples. Jean-Michel is now director of expeditions for the Cousteau Society, and he led the Society's recent voyage to Papua New Guinea. His logbook from that expedition has just been published, and the trip will also be featured as the first episode of a new T-V series, "Cousteau's Rediscovery of the World."

Dancer and choreographer Jacques d'Amboise (dahm-bwasz). d'Amboise has done more than anyone alive to bring the joy of dance to the public. For over 30 years, he was principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and a protege of choreographer George Balanchine. While still with NYCB, d'Ambrose founded the National Dance Institute (NDI) as a vehicle to teach dance and other arts to children. d'Amboise has more recently extended his classes to children with physical and emotional disabilities.

Columnist Mike Royko. For 26 years, Royko has written a daily column on happenings in his native Chicago and throughout the world, and he's just released his 6th collection of his writings. Along the way, Royko has earned the Pulitzer, the Mencken, and Pyle Award. His column is now carried in more than 500 papers. Royko also wrote "Boss," a best-selling portrait of Chicago mayor Richard Daley.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new French film, "The Bear." The nature film is a huge hit in Europe, now it's opening in American theaters.